Sports news from Los Angeles and beyond

UCLA, Pac-12 nix USC's plan to practice at Sports Arena

February 14, 2012 | 5:41
pm

USC's plan to practice Tuesday at the Sports Arena in preparation for Wednesday night's road game against UCLA was nixed by UCLA and the Pac-12 Conference, forcing the Trojans to work out at the Galen Center practice court.

As if the 6-20 Trojans did not have enough obstacles to winning another game.

After the Trojans' loss to Stanford on Sunday, USC Coach Kevin O’Neill said the Trojans would take a day off and then practice Tuesday at the Sports Arena, which is serving as a home venue for UCLA during Pauley Pavilion’s makeover.

A UCLA official told The Times' Chris Foster that UCLA called the Pac-12 office asking for clarification about USC's privileges at the Sports Arena as a visiting team.

According to the practice policy outlined in the Pac-12 handbook:

"The host institution shall not provide a practice site or time to a visiting team the day/night before the first game of a two-game trip or for a one-game trip. The host institution shall provide a practice time and site to the visiting team on the day/night before the second game if the game is the second of a Thursday/Saturday or a Saturday/Monday series."

O'Neill said he was not aware of the rule but was not upset by having to switch.